The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-20
COL. puvAL,s BIG WINNING.
Tho Victim Stole it From His Father,
and the Gambler Won it From the
Thief


Yarns We're spun by the dozen. The Col
then asked if any of the party had ever
heard him tell of his trip from New Or
leans to MatamoraS. Being requested to tell
his experience, he said:
1T was during the war. ! thought that
| would make a trip over into Mexico. So
packed up my tools and took passage on
bark-rigged vessel, which was also a
screw-steamer. Well, there were about forty
passengers Oh board, and We had "a pleasant
time for the first two days out to sea, but
on the third day there came on a storm
which tore the sails into strings, and the
sailors could not stay on deck without hold
ing on to the chains or some of the lower
rigging. 1t so happened that when the
storm got started that was upon deck. I
had been all night playing poker with the
Captain and purser | saw at glance that
could not get down into the cabin, so |
laid fiat down on deck and got hold of a coil
of chain, and there lay, expecting every
moment that the vessel would turn bottom
side up. 1t SO happened that there was
young man from New York ON board, who
was going over on business, His father
was very rich man in New York. and
when he got to New Orleans and showed
letters from his father, some member of a
rich firm in New Orleans gave him pack
age Of $l2, 900 to be delivered i'll Browns
vile, Tex. 1t happened that he was also on
deck at the time of danger, and after the
storm abated he came down into the cabin
and said:
g Gentlemen, l am ruined man
elbow sop asked some one of the passen-
gers
Well said he, Il had twelve 81 900
bills i'll an envelope intrusted to my care,
and I hod II in il1ci6n Ycnlyat
and the wind blew my coat over my
head, and saw the package go into the
Gulf
"'Well, we all felt sorry for him. said
George
He said that his father would have to
pay every dollar of the money, as the par
ties that sent it were great friends of his
father. A poker game was kept up until we
reached Bagdad, and the result was that
myself and partner got away with about
81, 300; but the old Captain said he had
played poker for fifty years and never
played in such hard luck. We got on a
lighter and were taken on shore. Then we
took the stage for Brownsville The Cap
tain and purser were in the party. We had
not been there long before dinner was ready,
so was very hungry, and / sat down, and
had just got fairly at work when in came a
squad of soldiers, and the Captain of the
squad CullStl OuU lOT 4 lllllsU UIldU
| felt little ticklish. but | raised up from
the table and said that Duval was my name
He said The General wants you. Fall in
line So i took my hat and started. They
had their muskets pointing at me until we
arrived at the Provost Marshals office. The
Captain of the vessel and purser and several
of the passengers were also summoned there
as Witnesses! The General knew me,
having met him in Dubuque, Iowa., several
years previous. He said to me: 'Duval, you
must give back that $4,000 you won from
that young man coming over on the YES
sell
"'General, said. 4 played no cards with
that man, and l did not win one dollar from
him.
HE then summoned the witnesses, who
all told the same story-that the man never
played a card on the trip over. | was hon
orably discharged. That night we maze up
party to go over into Matamoras and have
a little fun. Who should one of the party
be but the young New Yorker We COM
menced drinking wine and fine fancy
brandy. Finally we left the saloon and
went over to a gambling house. 1t was a
very fine one. | looked around the table a
minute and then my eyes caught on to a
New Orleans man who was playing thirty
six roulette wheel | shook hands with him,
and he turned to fine-lool1ing Mexican and
said:
General, this is Mr.. Duval from New
Orleans, Gen. Cortenius.'
"'Mr. Duval, l am happy to know you,
said the General.
$50 the game went on, and saw the Gen
eral was high roller. He bet 5000 on
one turn on the colors. thought l would
play little, as felt happy over the wine
and brandy; SO | took out a hundred-dollar
bill and laid it down on the black, as it had
come red three times previous. 1t won.
left it lay, and it came black again so Just
picked up my money and turned around and
said: Well, boys, | see you are not going
to play Let's go back to the saloon Go
ing over to the saloon my little New Yorker
got hold of my arm and said to me that he
wished he could gamble like me. He said
thatif l played again be would like to stand
in with me. That struck me as being all
right. / saw that the liquor Lad com
menced to work on him. SO | said all right
We went over to the saloon and got a few
more drinks, and / made proposition that
l would go over to the gambling house and
make another play. All agreed to go, so
over we went. When we got inside the
house the New Yorker pulled me to one side
and asked:
"'How much money are yon going to
risk!'
"'About 81, co., answered
''He was by that time pretty full, and
took out of of his pocket brand-new 81, 600
note and slipped it to me- / was too smart
to take it, and called one of the proprietors
to one side and asked him to give my friend
some small money for the $1,000 bill. He
did so. You see, knew that all of the ST.
600 bills that he said were lost at sea were
new and hadn't been rumpled. made bet
of $400 and lost it. Then l bet $500 and
won / played for about ten minutes, and
quit 5000 winner. | gave him half of the
winnings and his money he put up for the
stake, and we went out to have some fun;
but stuck to my boy, as | knew where the
81, 900 was and was determined to have it.
He thought / was the smartest man in the
world, and had great confidence in me. We
went over to Brownsville toward morning.
We went to bed and had good sleep and
were ready for the next night. Well, Iposted
nv partner as TO what had in view. | told
him not to notice me, and MOTTO come where
| was until gave him the Office to come.
After supper that night said to my York
friend:
81 do wish that could find some one
who would play poker with me- as thought
it was like finding money for me to get a
game
$50 think said he, and, Duval if you
do get up game want to be partners with
you
"'All right, my boy, you shall notgetleft,'
replied.
1--WE did not gamble that night at the
wheel, but the next day suggested to him